Lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid, which contain a cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene unit and produces hydroperoxides of these fatty acids. The enzyme is widely distributed in plants and animals. A number of lipoxygenase genes have been isolated from various plant and mammalian sources.
On the other hand, only a limited number of microbial lipoxygenases are known, and no lipoxygenase gene of microbial origin has been described. Su and Oliw, J. Biological Chemistry, 273 (21), 13072-79 (1998) describe a lipoxygenase from Gaeumannomyces graminis. 